Based in Exeter, The Sun-Gazette newspaper has expanded its reach into Fresno County with the acquisition of Mid Valley Publishing in Reedley. Photo by Paul Myers

Owners of The Sun-Gazette, an independent newspaper covering Tulare County, have announced the purchase of another local paper, giving them a foothold into Fresno County.

The deal, in the works for a year, closed May 1. It gives Exeter-based Mineral King Publishing full ownership of Mid Valley Publishing in Reedley.

Mid Valley Publishing traces its roots to 1891 with the founding of the flagship Reedley Exponent. At one point, Mid Valley Publishing had several weekly newspapers under its belt including the Sanger Herald, Parlier Post, Dinuba Sentinel, Fowler Ensign and Orange Cove & Mountain Times.

In 2019, Mid Valley Publishing consolidated its remaining papers — the Exponent, Herald and Sentinel — into one product, the Mid Valley Times. It also operates a commercial printing press in Reedley.

With the death of Publisher Fred Hall in March 2022, the Mid Valley Publishing ownership group considered closing the operation, according to a Sun-Gazette story announcing the acquisition.

That’s when Mineral King Publishing stepped in.

 

“We felt like we were doing well as a newspaper but also as a business here in Tulare County, and I think we didn’t know how good we were going to be unless we tested ourselves somewhere else,” said Paul Myers in the Sun-Gazette article. Myers serves as editor and also recently became part owner of Mineral King Publishing along with Publisher Reggie Ellis.

The acquisition, which started with Mineral King Publishing operating Mid Valley Publishing under a management contract beginning in May 2022, gives both organizations a leg up.

“They helped us with expansion,” Myers said in an interview. “We helped them become a better business.”

 

The Sun-Gazette and the Mid Valley Times will continue to operate as separate publications, with no major changes to staffing. As for content, readers can expect to see more cross-promotion and collaboration between the two papers in the coming months, as well as expanded coverage of local news and events.

Jim Boren, executive director of the Institute for Media and Public Trust at Fresno State and former Fresno Bee executive editor, said the deal benefits the local news industry.

“Reggie Ellis and Paul Myers understand the importance of strong local news coverage, and the quality journalism they displayed in Tulare County through the Sun-Gazette should be a good indicator of how they will operate in Fresno County,” Boren said. “This deal is good for local journalism.”